Vegetarianism and veganism trends are sweeping the nation and beef and other meats are sometimes demonized. However, there are plenty of health benefits of eating beef as well, especially when the meat is prepared and served in a healthy way.
Check out these awesome reasons to eat beef.
1. Avoid Anemia
Do you feel tired all the time? Anemia is a common condition characterized by fewer red blood vessels, leaving the affected feeling tired and weak all the time.
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One of the most common causes of anemia is iron deficiency. As you might have guessed, red meat is an excellent source of iron. More importantly, the body is more efficient at absorbing iron from animal-derived sources as opposed to plant-derived ones. In fact, it is very common to see iron deficiency among vegetarians and especially vegans.
2. Get Strong
You want to be strong, right? To grow muscle mass and strengthen your body, you’ll need protein. Perhaps one of the biggest beef benefits is being an excellent source of protein, offering a whopping 46 grams in one 6 oz portion of 80% lean beef.
Additionally, muscle mass is not only good for being strong, but also keeping you alive. Older adults with less muscle are at a higher risk of an earlier death.
3. Enhance Exercise Performance
In addition to helping you create muscle mass, beef can also help boost your exercise performance. It contains powerful components like creatine and carnosine. Both of these compounds are important for muscular health and performance.
High levels of creatine in the muscles is linked to lower amounts of muscle fatigue and better performance when exercising. Carnosine helps give the immune system a boost and reduces inflammation in the body. Beef and red meats are one of the few sources of carnosine and is about 50% richer in carnosine than chicken.
4. Get Your Vitamins
Getting enough of all your vitamins is important, but the B-group, in particular, offer some astonishing health benefits. For example, deficiencies in vitamin B12 can increase the risk of depression and other mental health issues. A 6 oz piece of beef offers nearly 100% of the recommended daily intake. Vegetarians should take note that vitamin B12 is not present in plant-based foods and should supplement this vitamin to avoid deficiency.
5. Get Your Minerals
Minerals is another area where people tend to have deficiencies. Beef, however, is a rich source of several minerals. We’ve already talked about iron, but healthy amounts of these other minerals are also present in beef:
- Zinc
- Selenium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
Smaller amounts of calcium, copper, manganese, magnesium, and copper are also found in beef. So go ahead and dig in to a delicious portion of carne picada, there are a whole host of benefits!
Enjoy the Benefits of Eating Beef
While chowing down on fast food hamburgers probably still isn’t a great idea, there is certainly a case to be made for eating moderate amounts of lean beef. So, go ahead, get out the barbecue and enjoy the benefits of eating beef.
Also Read: 5 Foods You Must Not Eat When Trying To Reduce Belly Fat
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